WAEC Computer Studies 2016 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 23 October 2026

Ten questions from the 2016 WAEC Computer Studies paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 49 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

WAEC Computer Studies 2016 questions and answers

1. 1.Which of the following can a traveler who finds himself in a new environment rely on for direction to his final destination?
   1. A
      Geographic Information System (GIS)
   2. B
      Global Positioning System (GPS)
      Correct
   3. C
      Local Area Network (LAN)
   4. D
      Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
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   Answer: B

   The Global Positioning System (GPS) is correct. GPS is a satellite-based navigation technology that can tell a device its exact location on earth and calculate the direction and route to a chosen destination. This is exactly the tool a traveler lost in a new environment needs to find his way.

2. 2.Which of the following was used by Joseph Marie Jacquad in inventing the Loom?
   1. A
      Punched cards
      Correct
   2. B
      Transistors
   3. C
      Vacuum tubes
   4. D
      Silicon chips
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   Answer: A

   Punched cards are the correct answer. In 1801, Joseph Marie Jacquard built an automatic loom that used a series of cards with holes punched in them to control the pattern being woven into the cloth. Each card represented one row of the design, and the presence or absence of a hole determined whether a hook (and its thread) was raised or left down. This let the loom reproduce complex, repeatable patterns without a weaver manually selecting threads for every row.

3. 3.The default number of sheets of a workbook is?
   1. A
      2
   2. B
      3
      Correct
   3. C
      4
   4. D
      1
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   Answer: B

   When you open a new workbook in Microsoft Excel (the version taught and referenced in the Nigerian Computer Studies syllabus around 2016), it comes with 3 worksheets by default, named Sheet1, Sheet2 and Sheet3. A worksheet is a single page within the workbook; the workbook is the entire file, which is why "1" is a tempting but wrong answer — it mixes up the workbook (the file itself) with the sheets inside it.

4. 4.The two main components of a radio communication system are?
   1. A
      Antenna and amplifier
   2. B
      Modulator and demodulator
   3. C
      Encoder and decoder
   4. D
      Transmitter and receiver
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   A radio communication system is built around two main components: the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter takes the information (voice, data, etc.), processes it and sends it out as a radio signal through an antenna. The receiver picks up that radio signal from the air and converts it back into the original form of information so it can be heard or used.

5. 5.The decimal number 1024 in hexadecimal equivalent is?
   1. A
      400₁₆
      Correct
   2. B
      100₁₆
   3. C
      4000₁₆
   4. D
      410₁₆
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   Answer: A

   To convert a decimal number to hexadecimal, divide repeatedly by 16 and read the remainders from the bottom up.

   1024 ÷ 16 = 64, remainder 0
   64 ÷ 16 = 4, remainder 0
   4 ÷ 16 = 0, remainder 4

   Reading the remainders from the last division to the first gives 400. So 1024 in decimal equals 400₁₆ in hexadecimal.

   You can check this by converting back: 4×16² + 0×16¹ + 0×16⁰ = 4×256 + 0 + 0 = 1024. It matches.

6. 6.A common communication pathway shared by hard- ware components in the computer iscalled?
   1. A
      Bus
      Correct
   2. B
      Register
   3. C
      Network
   4. D
      Port
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   Answer: A

   The bus is correct. A bus is the common set of wires (a shared pathway) along which data, addresses and control signals travel between hardware components inside the computer, such as the CPU, memory and input/output devices. Because many components are connected to the same bus, they can all communicate using it, one at a time, rather than each needing its own dedicated wiring.

7. 7.The speed of data transfer in the computer can be determined in terms of
   1. A
      word length
   2. B
      storage capacity
   3. C
      clock speed
   4. D
      baud rate
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Baud rate is correct. The speed at which data is transferred (transmitted) between devices or over a communication line is measured in baud, which tells us how many signal changes (bits) are sent per second — commonly expressed as bits per second (bps).

8. 8.Software is referred to as the?
   1. A
      the set of programs and instructions that direct a computer on how to perform its tasks
      Correct
   2. B
      an electronic device used to store data permanently
   3. C
      the brain of the computer that processes all data
   4. D
      the physical part of a computer that can be seen and touched
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   Answer: A

   Software is referred to as the set of programs, procedures and instructions that direct a computer on how to perform its tasks. It is the intangible (non-physical) component of a computer system that tells the hardware what to do, for example operating systems and application programs like Word or Excel.

9. 9.The software whose output is intended for the human user is called?
   1. A
      System software
   2. B
      Utility software
   3. C
      Application software
      Correct
   4. D
      Operating system
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   Answer: C

   Application software is written to carry out specific tasks for the end-user, and it produces output that a human being can read and use directly — a typed letter from a word processor, a result sheet from a spreadsheet, a printed receipt, and so on. Because it exists to serve the user, its output is deliberately presented in a human-readable form (text, tables, graphics, sound).

   So when a candidate sees "output intended for the human user," the correct match is application software, since that is its whole purpose.

10. 10.Which of the following is true about raw data?
    1. A
       It cannot be entered into a computer until it has been summarised
    2. B
       It must first be arranged into tables and reports before it can be regarded as data
    3. C
       It consists of facts and figures collected from a source that have not yet been processed or organised
       Correct
    4. D
       It has already been analysed and converted into meaningful information for decision-making
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    Answer: C

    Raw data refers to facts, figures and observations collected directly from a source (surveys, sensors, records, etc.) in their original form, before any processing, sorting, calculation or organisation has been done on them. This is exactly what makes it "raw" — it is the input to data processing, not the output.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

Spotted a wrong answer? Tell us from the app or on the contact page and we check it.

Practise all 49 questions we hold from the 2016 paper, on a timed CBT screen

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